Getting children off to a quick start in fields that interest them can never begin too early. Now Marion 5 – 8 grade students will have an opportunity to pick up trades before they enroll in high school.
Marion School District 1 received a $675,000 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant in December to fund an APPLE's (Art’s Providing Positive Learning and Enrichment) Afterschool STEM program at the Marion County Technical Education Center for the next four school years. The first two years of the grant are for $200,000; the third for $150,000 and $125,000 for year-four.
Money received can be used for salaries, supplies and transportation for students.
The STEM program is unlike the APPLE Afterschool Art’s program that Marion School District 2 (Mullins) received in a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant in 2009, which focuses on artistic classes, gives students an opportunity to learn Science Technology Engineering and Math in various different classes. Director of the APPLE program Marisa Monroe said they have incorporated automotive services, building trades, computer dynamics, entertainment technology, robotics, cosmetology, culinary arts and in addition some of the Mullins classes –dance, step and karate -- will be offered as electives once a week.
“This gives students an opportunity to be geared towards a career at an early age,” Monroe said.
The first classes began mid-January and will continue through July. There are 130 students who are enrolled in the program and on average there are 105 students who attend daily due to other school activities. Each student has the opportunity to pick one class as their major which they will then spend most of their time in. It’s a way for the students to grow in an area they like and not one that someone has picked for them, Monroe said.
Monroe also hopes this program will be a push to have more students interested in classes at the technical center once they get to high school.
“Hopefully, this will help with enrollment for the technology center, you know, because the kids already have a track in mind,” Monroe said. “They will already be geared towards exactly what they want to do in high school.”
Monroe said the classes at the technical center requires high school students to maintain an A-B average, so hopefully these classes will lead to those students wanting to keep their grades up so they can attend these classes once they reach high school.
Sign-ups for the program are held at the beginning of each school year and there is a 130 student limit. Contact Monroe at 423-1811 ext. 1145 for more information about the program.
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